


The Power of Serenity

by QueenyB



Series: Serenity Chronicles [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Cardcaptor Sakura, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Romance, Teamwork
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2020-05-15 12:51:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19296115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenyB/pseuds/QueenyB
Summary: For the last few nights, Sakura Kinomoto has been having eerie dreams about evil spirits surrounding her and screeching, "Find the princess. Find the crystal." In a different part of the city, Yugi Muto has been suffering from day-dreams wherein he speaks with his dark counterpart about a dark kingdom. (CCS/YGO/PGSM)





	1. A Fresh Start

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note: For the purposes of this fanfic, the events of the original CCS and YGO have happened, as has The Darkside of Dimensions. However, we are pretending that Clear Card doesn’t exist. As for the Sailor Moon aspect, well, you’ll see soon. ;)
> 
> Happy Reading!

Sakura set a box on the floor, starting a new stack. She straightened and rotated her shoulders, trying to knock out the stiffness. She took a few controlled breaths to calm her body. 

“Do you want to take a break?” her father asked, setting a box labeled “kitchen” on the counter. Mr. Kinomoto cracked his knuckles and turned to his daughter. 

“Maybe a short one,” she conceded. Her shoulders ached and going up and down the apartment stairs was starting to take its toll on her. A drink of water wouldn’t hurt either. 

Mr. Kinomoto clapped her shoulder. “Let’s go back to the car.” 

The two left the half-empty apartment, passing Toya and Yukito on the way out.

“You guys okay?” Toya asked. 

“We are going to sit in the car for a minute,” their father responded. 

“Okay.” 

Yukito paused and looked at Sakura closely. His eyes echoed a question that she’d been asking herself.  _ How are you doing? Are you okay? _

She offered a strained grin. She’d been having nightmares for the better part of the last month. Well, nightmare. It was always the same, and played on repeat until she woke up moaning or screaming and soaked to the bone with sweat. 

She was always sitting on the beach, beneath a colorful umbrella with Syaoran and Tomoyo. The sun warm on her neck, her fingers laced with Syaoran’s as they squinted against the sun. The shudder of Tomoyo’s camera clicked steadily as she took pictures of the scenery. 

Suddenly, the tinkling sound of a music box echoed over the waves with an eerie melody. Sakura rose to investigate and her friends disappeared from the beach. Unperturbed, she walked toward the water, gliding easily through the waves. Her toes squelched through the wet sand. 

Slowly, the water transformed into snow and she waded through the drifts. White clouds whipped around her, though she felt neither the cold nor the wind, she just kept following the sound. Eventually, a dark shape appeared in the distance. As she drew near, she saw that it was a huge door built into the stone of a snow-covered mountain. It had been carefully excavated, and the scientists were in the process of trying to open the door. 

The leader of the expedition was a young woman who had wild black hair that couldn’t be contained by her cap or hairband. Sakura watched as she cracked the door open, and a sense of utter and complete dread ran down her spine. 

“No!” she shouted to the woman, running through the snowdrifts, but she couldn’t get any closer. “Stop!” 

Unheard, Sakura watched the doors blast open, releasing a cloud of black spirits. They swarmed her, chanting with chaotic fervor, “Find the princess. Find the crystal. Kill the princess.” 

Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. “Please. Don’t!” 

Once again, she was ignored as the spirits flew toward the woman. They surrounded her, slowly merging with her. Sakura watched with horror as the woman’s hair turned a fiery red and her lips split with a dark cackle. 

Before, she had always woken when she’d been swarmed, but this morning she woke with deranged laughter echoing in her ears and Kero hovering over her, concerned.

Sakura slapped her cheeks, attempting to focus on the conversation at hand. 

_ I’m okay _ , she mouthed to Yukito, attempting to smile cheerfully. 

She wondered if she should counsel with Yue about the dreams. She’d spoken with Kero at length, and he thought they were premonitions, but wasn’t quite sure what to do about them. 

She caught Yukito’s eye again and tapped on her necklace, a sign they developed long ago to let him know that she needed to speak with his other half, and didn’t want the Kinomoto men to worry. He nodded. 

“Ready?” Mr. Kinomoto said, turning to his daughter. 

She nodded and led the way down the stairs. 

#

“Bye!” Usagi shouted to her mother as she rushed out the door. She was so late. Her teacher was definitely going to punish her if she arrived in the classroom if she arrived even a second after the bell rang. 

She was so consumed by her thoughts that she didn’t notice a young man in front of her. A resounding smack echoed through the air as she collided with his slender frame. She fell on the concrete and watched the man get up quickly to shoo a group of boys away from a little black cat. 

He shushed and chittered at the kitty, and she snuggled into his arms gratefully. He sighed, relieved, and turned to Usagi. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, smiling softly. “Are you okay?” He held out a hand to help her up. The man had beautiful silver hair and calm blue eyes, which were nearly hidden behind his wire frames and million-watt smile. 

Usagi felt the heat creep up her cheeks as she graciously grasped his hand and hoisted herself up. 

“It’s fine,” she replied, trying to sound casual. Her eyes flitted to the cat, or more specifically, to the bandaids on the cat’s forehead. “Poor kitty. Were those mean kids bullying you?” 

Carefully, she peeled the bandages off while the young man held the cat securely in his arms. Usagi thought it was a miracle that neither one of them got scratched up. She wadded up the bandaids and stuck them in her pocket, she’d find a trash can later. 

She gave the cat a rub on the head. “There you go,” she murmured. 

In the distance, the clocktower chimed eight times, each ring sending a jolt of panic down Usagi’s spine. She waved goodbye to the young man and continued her morning run. 

#

“Mew,” Luna chirped. She cocked her head to the side. How strange. 

“She seemed nice,” the young man said, absently stroking her head. Luna couldn’t help but purr. 

Luna stared at her savior curiously. He was radiating moon magic, which she didn’t know what to think about. She was here to find the  _ princess _ of the Moon Kingdom, but what if the princess had become a boy in this life? That would be… interesting, Luna mused. However, she thought she picked up a little tidbit of moon magic from the girl too before she ran off. 

How confusing.

Luna shook her head, a little sad that the man had stopped petting her once she did so. 

“Mew.” 

The youth chuckled and resumed his calming strokes. 

“Everything okay?” a deep voice rumbled.

The young man turned and Luna saw that the speaker was very tall and thin, with a dark complexion and piercing eyes. She wasn’t sure what to make of this one. Unlike the first man, who was very serene, this one radiated action. 

“Toya,” the young man replied, a smile lighting up his expression. “Everything’s fine. I just rescued this cat from some bullies.”

“Hmm?” Toya looked at her, contemplative. Eventually, he reached out a hand and scratched her under the chin. “Do we have a cat now, Yuki?”

“I suppose we do,” the silver-haired man replied. 

“We should take her to the vet.”

“How do you know it’s a girl?”

Toya turned back to the apartment complex and glanced at the feline. “I just have a feeling. Now let’s finish unpacking so we can go shopping for food and cat stuff.” 

#

That night, Sakura’s dream was different, but no less… odd. She started off on the beach, with Syaoran and Tomoyo, just like before. However, when the melody started to drift across the water, a voice echoed from inland. 

“Come here,” it said. 

Sakura stood, releasing Syaoran, who looked at her with puzzled auburn eyes. She smiled tensely and walked away from the water. The sand gave way beneath her feet to grass. Before she knew it, she was in the middle of a forest, and standing before a great silver archway. 

On the other side, a woman stood in a room of ivory and swirling colors. Her hair was forest green and her plum eyes sparkled against her dark complexion. She was a goddess of beauty and wisdom beckoning Sakura to come closer. 

Sakura’s feet crunched against the forest floor. 

“Hello, Sakura,” the woman said. “You may call me Pluto. I don’t have time to explain, but I need your help.”

Sakura nodded as the woman pushed a trading card into her hand. Pluto looked at her with great intensity. 

“Listen carefully. Find the owner of this card. The spell to activate it is Moon Prism Power.” 

“How will I know the owner?” Sakura replied. She was struggling to stay focused. 

Pluto frowned slightly. “You’re waking up,” she stated. Then she smiled and shook her head. “As to how you’ll know her, you’ll just know, I’m certain of it.” 

She kissed Sakura on her forehead, and Sakura sat up in bed. Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, like she’d run a marathon in her sleep. 

Kero flew over to her, little lion body hovering with a concerned air beside her head. “Another nightmare, kiddo?” he asked.

Sakura shook her head. “No, it was different this time, but it was… Well it was weird.” 

She reached up to comb her hand through her hair, and noticed that she was holding a card. Puzzled, she flipped it over to look at the front. It pictured a girl masked by sparkling bubbles and a large red ribbon. Her only discernible feature was her eyes, which were big and bright blue. 

“The Silver Princess,” Kero mused. “Where’d that come from?” 

#

Usagi stared at the paper in her hand, dejected. She’d been late, and Miss Haruna made her stand in the hallway holding two buckets of water until her arms felt like they were going to fall off. Plus her stomach was growling the entire time, and to make matters worse, as soon as she’d been allowed back in, the teacher had slapped this paper on her desk, a bright red thirty marring the upper right corner.

Usagi tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Her mother was going to kill her for sure. Naru nudged her shoulder. 

“It’s not so bad. There’ll be other tests. You can make it up later,” she said, attempting to cheer her friend. 

“Actually,” Umino interjected, straightening his spectacles, “Judging by Usagi’s past performance and current work ethic, I doubt she’ll get a good enough grade on the next test to really offset this one.” 

Usagi felt the tears well in her eyes as Naru pulled a book out of her bag and chucked it at their classmate. It hit him in the chest and he yelped. 

“You don’t have to be so mean about it,” Naru scolded. She turned back to Usagi and clapped a hand on her shoulder. “I know! My mom is having a sale at her jewelry store this afternoon. Why don’t you stop by and check it out?”

Usagi’s spirits brightened rapidly. “Really? But… Awe.” She draped herself over her knees dramatically. “I already spent my allowance, and jewelry is so expensive.” 

Naru chuckled. “You don’t have to buy anything, silly. You can just look. Who knows, maybe Mom even has something on sale that even you can afford.” 

Usagi pursed her lips and stared at a bush on the other side of the courtyard. She didn’t really want to go home straight after school and get grounded. But wouldn’t it be better to get it over with sooner rather than later? She growled quietly. 

“Okay!” she announced suddenly, startling her friends. “It sounds like fun. Let’s go after class.” 

#

Kero grunted and wriggled in Sakura’s purse. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked. 

Sakura shrugged and put an earbud in her ear. “I don’t know, but I have to do something. I’m not going to find the owner of this card just by doing the same thing I’ve always done.” 

“Then why not wait for Tomoyo to go with you?”

“You’re with me, aren’t you?” she responded. 

The plush crossed his little arms and pouted at the bottom of the bag. “Well… yeah. But  _ Warrior King IV _ just came out and I was planning on playing with Spinny today.” 

Sakura scowled at him. 

“Fine! I’ll be helpful,” he responded, throwing out his arms. “Where are we going anyway?”

Sakura readjusted the strap. “Dunno. Around?” 

Kero recrossed his arms. 

They walked on, eventually passing a small store full to the brim with ladies. They were crammed in like sardines, eyes glued to display cases full of glittering jewels and gemstones. A large banner stretched across the storefront declaring a HUGE SALE. 

Sakura shivered. Something was wrong. She could feel the dark energy emanating from deep inside. She clutched her sealed wand tightly. She suddenly felt woefully unprepared. 

She turned on her heel, ready to head back to her brother’s to speak with Yue and Kero, develop a plan or something, when a couple of girls walked past her. Sakura sucked in a surprised breath as the sheer force of moon magic hit her square in the face. The girl it was coating had really long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Sakura fingered the card in her pocket. She looked almost exactly like the silhouette of the girl on the card. 

The girl and her friend entered the store, and Sakura stood on the sidewalk, frozen. 

Kero peeked his head out of the top of the bag to catch a glance of the blonde. “Kiddo? What’s wrong?” 

“I think… I think she’s the owner.”

“That girl?” Kero asked. He pointed at the one in question, who was holding a necklace and admiring her reflection. “She seems a bit… airheaded.” 

Sakura walked into the store and leaned against the wall. She did her best to keep her eyes on the girl, but the throng made it difficult. She tapped her foot while her stomach churned. The evil magic was even worse inside the store, almost suffocating.

“If she is the owner, how do I give her the card and explain… What would I even explain? I don’t even know what’s going on.” 

“Let’s consult Yue. That girl’s magic is his realm of expertise, he may have some insight that we don’t.” 

“But…” Sakura trailed.

“She’ll be okay.” 

Sakura glanced at him. “I don’t like this place.” 

“Sakura, we don’t have a choice. Not unless we take her with us, and she’d never follow.” 

Suddenly, the girl frowned at her friend and put the necklace down. She perked up enough to wave goodbye to her friend, then trotted out the door. Sakura followed her, but ducked into an alley the second she got a chance. She pulled out her wand and released it. 

“What are you doing?” Kero asked.

“I can’t follow her all day, but we need to keep an eye on her. I was going to have MIRROR follow her.” 

Kero nodded. “Sounds good.” 

#

“My lady,” Rubeus greeted, kneeling before a granite throne. “I’ve sent one of the sisters to the city. She will retrieve the Millennium Silver Crystal shortly.” 

The queen ran a finger across the glass of her magic talisman, a crystal ball with swirling dark energy trapped within. “Good,” she drawled, eyes never leaving her ball. “You may go.”

The vassal saluted, then stood and marched from the room. As soon as he was safely out of sight, he slammed his fist against the wall, bruising his knuckles. 

“Tsk tsk tsk, Rubeus,” a lady of tall stature and long bright green hair mused, slinking down the hall. “Better control that fiery temper of yours.” 

“Esmeraude,” Rubeus stated, running a hand through his auburn hair. “What do you want?” 

Esmeraude smirked. “Absolutely nothing.” She walked around him, flipping her hair over a bare shoulder and angling her head at her comrade as she passed by. “Although, you shouldn’t embarrass Prince Demande with your attitude.” 

Rubeus gritted his teeth. If she weren’t his superior he’d… 

He sighed deeply. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he growled, shooting her a sidelong glance. 

She frowned. “Don’t call me ma’am. I’m far too young for that.” 

“I’ll remember that, Esmeraude.” 

She nodded and continued on her way. 

Rubeus waited for an extra moment, then slowly made his way to his quarters. He flopped in one of the velvet covered chairs and lit a fire. He might not like his job, but the digs were decent. He just had to make sure to get that blasted crystal so they could move on from Her Royal Highness.

 


	2. Timely Shadow

It was an all encompassing darkness that enveloped him like a thick velvet blanket. The spirit closed his eyes and leaned back, finally content. 

Suddenly, he felt the warmth of a soft light on his cheek. A hand reached out and grasped his shoulder. Perhaps it was a chthonic deity, welcoming him to the afterlife. 

“Pharaoh,” a feminine voice murmured. “Open your eyes.”

The first thing the spirit noticed was his visitor’s striking violet eyes. She was a beautiful young woman with a sandy complexion and a soft smile. 

“Who are you?” the spirit asked.

“My name is Pluto. I’ve been watching you for a while. I would like to offer you the opportunity to relax in a dimension that exists outside of time and space. Your soul can heal, and you can keep an eye on your mortal friends.” 

The spirit stared at her, confused. “Why?”

Pluto reached out and grasped his hand. “Because you deserve it.” 

“I can leave if I want to?”

“I will escort you to the afterlife myself. Think of it like a vacation, not a prison sentence.” 

He nodded. 

“What shall I call you?” the woman asked. 

“Please, call me Yami.” 

#

Yugi flopped on the grass of the university courtyard and listened as all the joints in his spine popped. Having a three hour lecture with no break in the middle was killer, and the lesson wasn’t exactly exciting. In the middle he started doodling pyramids in the margins of his notes. 

He closed his eyes and soaked up the feeling of the sun on his pale skin. He breathed in deeply and nearly fell asleep, but was prevented from doing so by the timely arrival of a white cat pouncing on his chest. 

Yugi popped an eye open and lifted himself off the ground. The cat curled on his black jeans and started grooming itself. 

“Hello there,” Yugi said, reaching to pet its white fur. He was honestly surprised when the cat let him. 

“Yeah, right behind the ear,” the cat said with a fairly masculine voice. 

Yugi froze. “You… talk?” he squeeked. 

The cat turned to face him, blue eyes shining with honest intelligence. “Well, yes. Honestly, given everything you’ve been through I’m surprised this fazes you at all.” 

Yugi stuttered, the noises coming out sort of like a question, but not quite there yet. 

The cat chuffed. He licked one of his white paws and rubbed behind his ear, then he shook his head. Yugi watched, amazed. How could a talking cat —  _ a talking cat _ — be so nonchalant about the situation and act just like any other feline. Yugi himself felt like he was about to vomit. 

“This is… surreal,” he managed. 

“Yes, I think you’re right. It’s not everyday your average cat gains the ability to speak human languages.” The cat rose to his feet. “Follow me please.” 

Rather mechanically, Yugi got off the grass and trailed off after the feline. The cat led the way to the boy’s dorms and walked straight to Yugi’s room and began to scratch at the door while staring at Yugi patiently. Yugi pulled out his key and opened the door. 

“We aren’t supposed to have cats in the dorms,” he stated. 

The cat hopped onto the bed and sat, tail curled around his paws. “I figured. I won’t stay long. Now, perhaps introductions are in order. My name is Artemis.” 

“Umm, I’m Yugi.”

The cat smiled, or at least Yugi thought he smiled. How do you tell if a cat is actually smiling?

“A pleasure to meet you, Yugi. Now, I have a lot to tell you, and not a lot of time to run around the bush about it, therefore I am just going to lay it all out for you. Understand?”

Yugi nodded mutely, sitting in his desk chair. 

“I was sent here by Queen Serenity, last monarch of the ancient Moon Kingdom. Millenia ago, the Moon Kingdom was attacked by a dark force, and the society was destroyed. The queen, seeing all the destruction, used the last of her magic to ensure her daughter and her daughter’s lover, amongst a few others, would be reincarnated around the same time and able to access the memories of their past lives. Unfortunately, we’ve run out of time for them to discover their pasts for themselves as the Dark Kingdom is rising again, and the only ones who can defeat them are the Celestial Warriors. We need your help to locate some of these souls and get them rolling. You may ask questions now.” 

Yugi didn’t even know where to start. His head was reeling and he was very glad he was sitting. 

“Ahh… Moon Kingdom?”

“An ancient society that was located on the Moon. The people migrated outward, of course, but the capital was always on the moon, around the area of the Seleucus crater, actually.”

“And now this… Dark Kingdom… has destroyed it, but disappeared for a while and now they are coming back? That seems pretty convenient.” 

“It’s not that they disappeared, but rather that they were sealed,” Artemis responded. “Part of the queen’s spell locked them away. I’m not sure of the specifics, however.” 

“And there are these… Celestial Warriors that have been reincarnated… and I have to track them down?”

“Well not all of them. We have someone helping elsewhere. Doubtless you will meet one day, but for now it’s not important.”

Yugi cocked an eyebrow.  _ He _ would like to know who he’s allied with, even if they aren’t going to meet anytime soon. Still, he wasn’t sure he believed anything that the feline had said. It was just too… far fetched. Sure he’d spent much of his adolescence possessed by an Egyptian spirit and defeating evil, but that was nothing compared to believing a talking cat talking about ancient aliens. 

Yugi rubbed his face and stood. He opened the window, he was only on the second floor, so he thought the cat wouldn’t have an issue getting down. 

“I need some time to absorb all of this, plus it’s getting late. You need to leave for now. Will you be okay getting down?”

Artemis came over and examined the window. “Absolutely. This is a simple jaunt. I shall find you again tomorrow. Sleep well.” 

With that he hopped out the window and gracefully fell into the bushes and slinked away into the night.

Yugi sighed. This was complicated. 

#

That night, Yugi had a difficult time sleeping. Besides the fact that there was a lot of information for him to process, it was also pouring outside. Rain and wind beat on his window, and he even worried a bit about the white cat. He hoped Artemis was okay. Yugi tossed in his bed and eventually gave up on sleeping. 

As he swung his legs out of bed, the shadows started to swirl and condense into a male figure. Yugi jumped up and grabbed the bat his friend Jonouichi had insisted he kept in his room. Yugi never thought he would actually touch it. 

The shadow held his arms out, placatingly. 

“Yugi,” it whispered. 

The young man dropped the bat. “Yami…” 

The spirit solidified into a near mirror replica of Yugi, same slender build, same blond and violet hair, everything was similar except that in place of Yugi’s violet eyes, Yami’s were blood red. 

“What-? How-? I don’t-”

The spirit held up a hand. “I don’t have time to explain everything, Yugi.” He smiled. “Much as I want to. For now, just know that I am well, and I can see that you are doing well too. I’m glad.”

“Why are you here?” Yugi asked. 

“The white cat you met, Artemis. He was telling you the truth. The world is in danger and he needs your help to save it. Please, Yugi.” 

Yugi clutched his hand. “So all of it was real? The Moon Kingdom, the prince and princess, all of it?”

Yami nodded. “All of it. Except, perhaps he was unaware that the Dark Kingdom has started to move, and we are running out of time. We can only do so much. We really need your help.” 

Yugi sighed, resigned to his fate. His life would always be exciting, he was sure of it. “Okay. I’ll help, though I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do. I’m not special, I don’t have any powers or mysterious abilities. I’m only human.”

“You,” Yami emphasized the word, “are the smartest, kindest, most resourceful man I know. You are observant, and don’t take everything at face value, yet still manage to be trusting. The people you are going to look for, they need your particular brand of optimism to make it through. You’ll do great.” 

Yugi stared at his closest friend, brother, and nodded. If Yami thought he could do it, then he would do it. 

“Okay.”

Yami crossed his arms. “Then you had better get some sleep. You and Artemis will have a long day tomorrow.” 

Yugi tilted his head. He still wasn’t tired though. 

Yami, sensing his confusion, walked over and tapped him on the forehead with one ethereal finger. Yugi’s eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out, landing safely on the bed behind him. 

#

Yugi found Artemis waiting for him outside the dorm when he walked out the next morning. He waved to the cat to follow him and started running. Yami’s mystical wammy had made Yugi late. Late waking up, late getting ready, late getting out the door, and probably late to class. 

“Do you really have to go to class?” Artemis asked, trotting along behind him. 

“These classes cost me ten grand a year, I’m going. Try to keep up,” Yugi answered. 

As they dashed around the courtyard, Yugi noticed a large group of male classmates in the middle of the green. It looked like they were gathered around something.  _ Strange _ , he thought before rushing through the doors of the College of Business and Administration. Yugi plopped into his seat just as the professor began his lecture. 

The hour passed rather uneventfully, though Yugi wondered if anyone was going to say anything about the cat curled around his feet. He scribbled a reminder about service animals in his notebook and focused on the professor again. 

#

Yugi sipped his coffee and followed Artemis around the corner and into a narrow street. “So where are we going?” he asked. “I need to be back on campus by two.” 

“Oh, this shouldn’t take long,” Artemis replied, stopping and grooming his ear. “I should explain before we arrive, however. The memories and powers of the Celestial Warriors are sealed in trading cards from that Duel Monsters game you are familiar with. Why this is so, I don’t rightly know. We need to obtain these cards so that when we find the Warriors, we can reunite them with their powers and memories.”

“That seems complicated.”

“Likely it is an extra safety measure. In any case, I know where one of the cards is, and that is where we are headed. You will need to purchase it, and then we can move on with locating the Warrior that it belongs to.”

“Okay. Think this… mission will involve playing any Duel Monsters?”

“I don’t expect it to; though if it comes to that I have faith that you’ll be victorious.” 

Artemis stood back up and led Yugi to the doors of a collector’s shop. Yugi walked inside, Artemis not far behind, and the two walked up to the case. Artemis stopped in front of the glass panel and mewed quietly. Inside was a bronze card with Middle Eastern Commander emblazoned across the top. It was a fairly unremarkable card, as far as Yugi was concerned, and would have easily ended up in the box of extra cards under his bed. 

Yugi pointed and silently confirmed with Artemis before waving the seller down. A few minutes later the card was his. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you are enjoying this story or have some constructive criticism, please leave a kudos or a comment.   
> Happy Reading!


	3. Lateral Battle

_ The Power of Serenity _

Chapter 3

Lateral Battle

 

Toya insisted the cat, which they hadn’t yet given a name, ought to stay at the apartment, but Yukito wanted to bring the kitty with them to the pet store. Toya almost lost the argument, but was victorious at last. The cat stayed at the apartment, purring contently on the sofa. 

The trip to the store was simple, albeit a tad expensive for two young men who had just only moved into a new apartment. Food, litter, tray, bowl, even a collar. It all added up. Toya hefted the paper bag with the litter and pan and steadied it in his arms. 

“Mind your own freaking business!” a shout echoed from across the street. 

The couple paused and saw that the speaker was a girl with long blonde hair and wearing a school uniform. She was shouting at a young man with dark hair in a tuxedo. 

“What a weird outfit,” Toya noted. 

Yukito nodded. His eyes were glued to the girl as she argued with the boy and snatched her homework from his hands before giving him the stink-eye and running off with her friend. There was something about her… Something powerful that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. 

Toya tapped his shoulder. “Everything okay?”

“I think so.”

“Okay.” 

#

Yugi fumbled with the card in his hand. It was just like every other card he’d ever used in Duel Monsters, and rather unremarkable at that. It’s the kind of card that would be put in a deck just to be used as fodder for the bigger guns. He plonked down in his desk and set the card on his notebook. He’d have to figure out what to do with it later. 

“Where is everyone?” the professor asked, waltzing in the half-empty room. 

Yugi looked around and sure enough his class, which usually consisted of a manly majority was outnumbered by their female counterparts, probably for the first time this semester. 

A young man across the room raised his hand. His name was Masahiko Takahashi, and Yugi had only spoken to him on a handful of occasions. 

“Sir,” he said. “I saw many of our classmates outside gathered around a female visitor. I don’t expect they will participate in class today.” 

“I see,” the professor grumbled. Without another comment, he flipped on the projector and started his lecture. 

Yugi did his best to focus, but he couldn’t shake the bad feeling he got about the girl outside. She’d been surrounded earlier this morning, and he doubted that situation had changed much. He leaned over the edge of his desk and scratched Artemis to get his attention. 

“Mrow,” Artemis said.

“Can you go and check out what’s going on outside? I have a bad feeling.” 

Artemis nodded and stretched before trotting out the door. 

“Mr. Mutou,” the professor responded as Yugi sat back up. “As well behaved as the cat is, you do realize we can’t have pets in class.” 

Yugi sighed. Of course he would get caught now. 

“Yes, sir,” he responded. “I’ll take care of it.” 

#

Calaveras lounged on the blue checkered blanket. She tightened the buns that secured her brown hair and grasped the hand of the handsome young man waiting to help her sit up. She felt the now familiar zap of his energy running up her arm and into her black crystal earrings. 

Queen Beryl was going to be pleased. In just a few hours she had obtained enough energy to power a city, and she hadn’t even had to move more than a few feet! 

She looked around at the harem of healthy young men around her, and even a few females, and grinned. And she had thought that gaining this much energy was going to be difficult. What a silly girl she was. 

She leaned forward, pursing her lips at a black-haired youth with thick glasses. His Adam's apple jumped. 

“Could you,” she ran a finger down the front of his shirt. She grinned, feeling his very soul wriggle under her control. “Get me a glass of water?”

He nodded mutely and scuttled off to fulfill her request. He’d hardly stood before another sat in his vacated position. She leaned forward and put her hand over his, purring coyly. However, she wasn’t so focused on her quarry that she failed to notice a little white cat sitting quietly in the tree above her. 

Calaveras grinned. She could even attract cats, too bad their energy was useless to her. 

“Could one of you catch that kitty for me?” she asked, pointing up. 

#

Yugi found Artemis under a bush beside his dorm. He was covered in leaves and sticks, and his fur was sticking straight up. Cautiously, Yugi pulled Artemis to his chest and pet the cat’s head. Slowly, Artemis began to relax.

“Thank you,” he said. “Can you get the twigs next please.” 

While he worked, Yugi asked Artemis about what had happened. Truth be told, he expected the cat to be sitting outside his classroom when the lecture let out. 

“That woman, she’s a witch. She was hypnotizing those boys, somehow controlling them. She sent them after me for no reason. I was just watching, and then I was running all over this blasted campus looking for a place to catch my breath.” 

“Think they are still looking for you?”

Artemis froze. “I hope not.”

“They aren’t,” a third voice responded. 

Yugi jumped and looked around. Sure enough, Masahiko was standing on the step and listening to the conversation. If the tall man was surprised by Yugi’s reaction, he didn’t show it. 

Artemis recovered from the shock first. “You aren’t… alarmed at the prospect of a talking cat?” 

Masahiko tilted his head, long blond hair falling across his shoulder. “I wouldn’t say that, but given everything that’s going on, a talking cat is the least strange.”

“Like…?” Yugi responded, still a tad stunned. 

“The woman in the courtyard stealing the souls from the young men around her,” Masahiko said bluntly. 

#

"Oh, Key that hides the power of the stars, reveal your true power before me. I, Sakura command you under our contract. Release!" A flash of light erupted in the dark room, blinding the malformed monster. Sakura pulled out a card and spun it in the air.

"Jump!" she called. Feathers formed at her ankles and she bounced out of the way. 

The monster's shadowy arm created a crater in the space where she used to be. 

A squeal echoed from near the door. The blonde girl from before kneeled frozen beside her comatose friend. Her eyes watched the monster in terror. 

"Kero," Sakura called from the windowsill. She pointed at the girls. "Protect them."

The lion plush nodded and flew to the civilians. 

"What's happening?" the girl screeched at him. 

"I'm not entirely sure myself. What I do know is that we are being attacked led by a monster, so unless you plan to help, you need to keep quiet."

The blonde girl gulped and gripped her friend’s arm. 

Sakura lept and flew over the monster. In her human form, she was a pretty woman with curly ginger hair and bright blue eyes, but as a monster she had been morphed into an angular creature with pale, drawn skin and black eyes. She lashed out with her talon-like fingers and slashed Sakura’s calf. 

Sakura yelped and landed on her other foot. Jump disappeared and Sakura attempted to stand, but winced as she put weight on her injured leg. She pulled out the Fly card and activated it. Wings appeared on her back and she started darting around the monster, staying just out of reach but keeping her attention. 

The monster was getting angry though, and Sakura knew this method wouldn’t last long. She had to think of a plan. How can she defeat this monster? It wasn’t a Card, so she couldn’t transform it, but she didn’t know how to purify the creature either. 

#

The sorceress was surrounded by young men with vacant eyes and drooping jaws. She, by contrast, looked radiant in the late-evening light, practically glowing with the energy she had spent the day siphoning. One of the men darted toward Yugi and Masahiko, and they had to jump in alternate directions. 

Yugi scrambled to stay away from the near endless stream of hands that reached for him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Masahiko bobbing and weaving through the crowd, steadily getting closer to the sorceress... and her earrings. They weren’t sure how, but they knew that the earrings were the key to stopping the sorceress, and her zombified army. 

“Oh, boys,” she called. “Do be darlings and catch that pretty boy for me, won’t you? He will make a great addition to your ranks.” 

Yugi watched her lick her lips and recoiled. Luckily, his attackers thinned out and he was able to dart behind a bush. 

“What’s the plan?” Artemis said, crouching down with Yugi.

The young man peeked out and saw that Masahiko was having some trouble evading so many zombies. 

“I need to get her earrings. I just need to get closer.” 

Suddenly, Yugi had a terrible idea. 

#

Usagi watched the strange girl fly around Naru’s mom and wished she could do something to help. Try as she might, the girl couldn’t evade the attacks completely and kept getting hurt. Usagi squeezed Naru’s arm and willed her locked legs into movement. Maybe…

She gulped.

Maybe she could distract the monster long enough for the girl to do something about it. 

Usagi jolted and got up. She ran past the flying lion-thing and ran to the other side of the girl. She caught her eyes, green and worried, before belting out an ear-piercing screech. 

“Hey, Ugly,” she followed. “No amount of jewelry you wear is going to make a difference with a mug like that.” 

Naru’s mom swiveled around and raked her talons through the air. Usagi leapt back, just barely avoiding getting skewered. This may have been a bad idea. Usagi heard her heart hammer in her ears and started running. 

The monster was hot on her heels. 

_ EEK! _

“Shield!” the stranger yelled, putting herself between Usagi and Naru’s mom. Her claws clanged against an invisible field. 

“Are you okay?” the stranger asked.

Usagi nodded. “And you?”

“I’ll be fine. You need to get out of here.” 

“I- I can’t. You need help. Tell me what to do.”

The stranger gritted her teeth, concentrating. 

Usagi, however, caught sight of a trading card in her pocket and… it just seemed to call to her. As if in a trance, she grabbed the card. 

“Moon Prism Power — Make up!” 

A blast of silver light shined upon her, seemingly from the moon, and she stepped forward, no longer clothed in her school uniform. Instead, she wore a sailor suit made of thick body armor. It was pearl white and adorned with a navy-blue skirt and crimson ribbon. White gloves protected her hands and extended to her elbows, and red boots extended to her knees. Finally, upon her head shone a glittering golden tiara. 

“I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice! On behalf of the moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!”

#

Well that didn’t work. 

Yugi dangled from the surprisingly strong grip of the sorceress. His feet barely scraped the pavement beneath him, and Masahiko was trapped behind a wall of zombie suitors. 

“You thought you could sneak up on me?” the witch screeched. “I am Calaveras, puppeteer of souls, you can not sneak up on me.” 

Yugi stretched his hand as far as he could, he had to get that earring, but it was just out of reach. 

Calaveras smirked and tossed him. He landed on his shoulder and felt the sting of stripped flesh. Masahiko ran over and helped him sit up. He opened his mouth to speak, but became entranced by the Duel Monsters card sticking out of Yugi’s ruined blazer. Almost instinctively, Masahiko plucked the card from Yugi’s pocket and stood. 

Yugi clasped his sore shoulder and watched as Masahiko stood in a trance and began to shout. 

“Earth Crystal Energy — Suit up!” 

A ball of violet lightning fell from the sky and engulfed Masahiko, but he didn’t make a sound. A second later he emerged, surrounded by lightning and with flashing eyes. His blond hair floated around him, as if held up by the static energy, and Yugi could easily see that the black slacks and white polo he had been wearing before had been replaced with a silver military uniform adorned with a white cape and gloves. 

“My name is Kunzite, and on behalf of Mother Earth, you shall be thwarted through the flow of energy.” 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter 3.
> 
> Chapter 4 will be uploaded on July 1, 2019.
> 
> For the most up-to-date information, follow The Power of Serenity on Facebook!
> 
> So, as a special treat, we are going to do a Q&A at the end of Chapter 4 next month. Send in your questions either here or over on FB and we will answer them to the best of our ability!


	4. Soul vs Energy

_ The Power of Serenity _

Chapter 4

Soul vs Energy

Sakura felt the card slip from her pocket, heard the girl’s battle cry, and then saw a red boot fly over her head and smack the monster on the head. Sakura released the Shield and jumped back. She saw that the blonde girl had changed into a short sailor suit and was thoroughly whomping on the monster and resolved to think more about it later. 

Unfortunately, after a few good kicks, the monster shook off her stupor and swiped at Sailor Moon. She jumped back and held a hand over the bleeding scratch on her bicep. 

“Freeze!” Sakura commanded, releasing the card to entrap the monster in a block of ice. 

“Thank you,” the sailor scout responded. 

“I don’t think it’s going to last long. Any ideas?” 

Sailor Moon gritted her teeth. “Not exactly. I’m not even sure what just happened.” 

“We can discuss it later, promise,” Sakura responded. She attempted a grin, but knew it didn’t quite meet her eyes. 

_ Crack! _

The ice splintered and the monster dashed to the opposite end of the store… Straight towards the unconscious girl! 

“Naru!” Sailor Moon shrieked. The  _ oo _ at the end of the name echoed through the room, amplifying with every repetition. All of the glass in the building shattered, including a few pieces of jewelry from the case. Sakura felt glad that she had been standing behind Sailor Moon. 

The monster, however, was in the middle of the blast. She covered her ears with her hands. “Arg, it’s deafening,” she cried. 

Sakura looked for Kero, knowing it was by Naru, and therefore in range of the sonic blast. He was hovering by the girl, covering one over her ears as best he could and gritting his teeth. 

Sakura grasped Sailor Moon’s arm. The girl gasped and the sound quieted down. She stared at the monster, seemingly having a sudden revelation. She reached up and removed the tiara from her head while the monster was still stunned. The tiara began to hover and spin over Sailor Moon’s palm. 

Sakura stepped away and let the girl work. 

“Shield!” she summoned a bubble around Naru and Kero. Sakura nodded at Sailor Moon. 

“Moon Tiara Action!” she launched the tiara. 

The monster didn’t have time to react. The tiara collided with her and she screeched demonically. As the tiara few back to Sailor Moon, the creature began to melt. Slowly, surely turning into a pile of sand on the floor. 

“W-where’s Naru’s mom?” Sailor Moon asked, staring at the pile in horror. 

Sakura brushed her shoulder, collapsing her wand and restringing it. “I’m sure she’s fine. Kero, can you fly around and search for her?”

“Sure thing, kiddo,” he responded, flitting into the backroom. 

“She should be okay,” Sakura said after checking on Naru. “She was knocked out with a spell just after I got here.”

“So, um, any idea how I change back?” Sailor Moon asked. 

#

Kunzite raised a hand, electricity gathering at his fingertips. “Manganese Lightning Burst!”

The energy condensed in his palm and abruptly shot forward in a beam of white light. 

Calaveras jumped out of the way, the laser scraping her arm. Her skin sizzled and she screamed, resisting the urge to cover the wound with her hand. Instead, she clenched her fist. 

“You,” she growled. “Boys, get him!” 

A swarm of young men lined up to tackle Kunzite like he was the enemy quarterback and rushed him. Kunzite easily evaded by jumping over them. 

Yugi watched the entire exchange from his position on the pavement. His arm stung, but the pain wasn’t too bad. He knelt on one knee wondering why Kunzite wasn’t more alarmed by the transformation, and quietly watching Kunzite zap Calaveras’ followers. He knocked them out efficiently with a few well-timed bolts of electricity. 

Finally, he was the last one standing, fallen frat boys and sorority girls scattered in the quad. Calaveras glared at him, teeth grinding. 

Suddenly, Artemis jumped from a bush behind her and snatched the gem with his teeth. He bolted over to Yugi and placed the black crystal in his palm. 

The sorceress screeched, the sound echoing off the brick buildings around them. She dashed forward, attempting to reach Yugi. Kunzite grasped her wrist and held her against his chest, preventing her from getting too close. Unfortunately, she wriggled like a worm and there was no way he could hold her for long. 

Yugi stood as quickly as he could and threw the gem on the concrete. He stomped on it with his heavy boot and twisted. The gem ground into sand and Yugi was thrown back by the force of escaping energy. 

“You fools!” Calaveras screamed, finally escaping Kunzite’s hold. She bounced out of reach. “You’ll regret this,” she said before disappearing into thin air. 

Yugi sighed. 

“That was strange,” Kunzite noted. He looked at his gloves and then looked at Artemis. “So how do I switch back?”

“And you think I know because?” the cat responded, ears flicking. 

“You’re a magic talking cat.” 

Artemis sighed. “You’re lucky that I actually  _ do _ know what is going on. Just relax and breathe. Let the power go.” 

Kunzite closed his eyes and did as the cat suggested. There was a flash of light and he was back in his slacks and polo. He ran a hand through his long hair. 

“I believe it’s time for you to explain now,” Masahiko said. 

#

The pharaoh stared intently at the Celestial Warrior as she paced back and forth in front of the Space-Time Door. He wasn’t sure what she was so worked up about. As far as he could tell, everything that happened to their friends blew over well. Even if Yugi getting hoisted by Calaveras nearly had him hopping through the gate himself. 

“Something didn’t go according to plan?” Yami asked. 

“Well… Hmm… How do I explain?” Pluto responded. 

Yami sat on the floor and patted the space next to him. “From the beginning, I would imagine.” 

Pluto’s eyes widened a tad, then she sighed and sat down next to the pharaoh, laying her scepter across her legs. 

“Long ago, before Egypt, before Babylon, there was a kingdom of people who lived on the Moon. They lived peacefully under the rule of Queen Serenity and her teenage daughter. The princess was fascinated with the people on Earth, and regularly snuck down to visit. During one of these visits she met Prince Endymion and they fell madly in love. I’d never seen anything like it, so selfless and balanced, I loved watching them, pretending I could have something like that one day too. 

“But there were enemies lurking in the dark, who wanted the Queen’s power, a legendary stone called the Millennium Silver Crystal. They incited the people of Earth to revolt against Prince Endymion and attack the Moon Kingdom. 

“The prince and princess, all of their retainers, they all died in the ensuing battle. Queen Serenity wanted to give them a second chance, so she used the last of her power to ensure they would be reborn together; but she also knew that Princess Serenity would be born with her own Silver Crystal and that the Dark Kingdom would return for her.”

“So she sealed their powers in the Duel Monsters cards?” Yami cut it.

“Yes, as well as their memories of life on the moon,” Pluto replied. “She also sent Artemis and Luna to guide them. Artemis is doing a fantastic job and he’s exactly where he needs to be, but Luna got distracted by that moon boy. Sakura and Usagi don’t have anyone to explain anything to them. They are probably scared out of their wits, and I can’t do anything from here.” 

Yami patted her shoulder. “Sakura has those guardians of hers. I’m sure they will figure something out. Just calm down and see what happens.” 

Pluto placed her hand over his and took a long, deep breath. “Okay,” she replied. 

#

 Sakura and Sailor Moon sat across from each other at the park. It was the best place they could think of to figure everything out while the people at the jewelry store woke up.

“Let’s take this slowly,” Sakura said. “Try to calm down and relax.” 

“Okay,” Sailor Moon replied warily. She closed her eyes and tried to regulate her breathing. She even tried to imagine how she really was; her red, white, and blue school uniform; her long, blonde hair carefully rolled into an odango hairstyle every morning; her cheerful smile in the mirror. When she opened her eyes she saw that Sakura was smiling at her. 

“You did it,” she said. 

Usagi looked down and was happier to see her uniform than she’d ever been in her life. 

“So,” Usagi said, “what is going on?”

“Honestly, I’m not completely sure either,” Sakura replied before filling Usagi in on what she  _ did _ know. The poor girl was a bit overwhelmed, but she seemed to be handling it well. Usagi didn’t run away screaming or flat out refuse to believe any of it. She just sat there staring at Sakura with a mildly confused look on her face. 

“What do we do now?” Usagi asked. 

“We go home,” Sakura replied. “I doubt we’ll be able to figure anything else out tonight. Shall we meet here tomorrow?” 

Usagi nodded. “I have class, so it will have to be in the afternoon. Is that alright?” 

“Of course. Goodnight, Usagi. Sleep well,” Sakura replied before trotting off, Kero hot on her heels. 

Her father was probably worried sick. 

#

Luna stretched her body lazily and watched the two young men as they sat down to dinner. She had learned their names easily, Toya and Yukito, though they were continuing their discussion about what to call her. While Toya was leaning toward more generic names, like Blackie and Soot, Yukito was getting more creative. He had offered up Starrie and Serena as possible names already, though he didn't seem a hundred percent sold on the idea. Once again Luna wondered if this boy was connected to the moon somehow.

Well, somehow more than the moon-angel he had turned into when his young lady friend came over for advice. She'd considered speaking up then, but wasn't sure if she ought to because the girl wasn't part of her mission. Her magic was celestial, but also internal, like she had her own star burning brightly in her chest. Rather unusual for a human, yes, but not unheard of. In fact, she could recall seeing the same thing in a young man… somewhere, but she couldn't quite remember. 

Yukito's magic, however, was different. Was it possible that when the princess was reincarnated she had been born a boy? It wasn't impossible. She could have been reborn as a boy as a protection measure against the Dark Kingdom. No one would expect the princess to be a man. And the moon-angel could also be a protection, or a protector. Luna wasn't exactly sure how it worked, and without talking to Yukito she doubted she ever would. 

There was really only one choice. She had to talk to Yukito to really see if he was Princess Serenity.

Toya stood up and carried the plates to the kitchen. Luna heard the water start to run and hopped up on the table in front of Yukito. He smiled sweetly.

"You can't sit up here, little one," he said, reaching to put Luna back down.

"Excuse me," Luna replied, dodging his hands. "I need to speak with you." She paused, waiting to see his reaction.

"Oh, you can talk," he said nonchalantly. "Okay, but will you please come off the table, it is unsanitary."

Luna thought that she was more startled than he was, but she obliged, landing softly on the linoleum floor. 

"Do you have a name?" Yukito asked. 

"Yes, it's Luna."

"Nice to meet you, Luna."

"Oh, so she can talk?" Toya stated as he walked through the door drying his hands on a towel. 

Luna tilted her head to the side and flicked her ears. She expected at least a little shock.

"Toya, meet Luna. So, what would you like to discuss?" Yukito replied, shifting himself to the floor. Toya nodded and sat next to him.

Luna cleared her throat. "I am here on a very important mission to find the Moon Princess and protect her from the clutches of the Dark Kingdom."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Chapter 4.
> 
> There weren't as many questions that came through as I expected, but that's okay. We will do another Q&A in the future. 
> 
> Q&A #1
> 
> Q: Is Chibi-usa going to be in The Power of Serenity?
> 
> A: Yes, eventually.
> 
> Chapter 5 will be uploaded on August 1, 2019.
> 
> Happy Reading


	5. Crystal Seminar

“Oh, great and powerful Queen of Darkness, pardon our failures!” said Calaveras from where she knelt on the ground before the throne. 

“It was not our fault! There were unforeseen forces that got in our way,” pleaded Koan from her sister’s side. 

Queen Beryl rose to her feet. “Explain,” she replied coldly. 

Koan bowed her head, face nearly colliding with the cold obsidian floor. “I fought two schoolgirls with magic powers. One of them decimated my puppet.” 

“And I was defeated by a very powerful sorcerer. He called forth great power which caught me off guard, and the boy with him crushed my crystal.”

The two women cowered in fear as the queen quietly paced back and forth across her dias. Her hand glided slowly over her magic crystal. She tapped it twice with a long fingernail. 

“Tell me, what magic did your opponents call upon?”

Koan glanced up at the queen quizzically. “Th-The girl who defeated me called upon the power of the moon. I didn’t catch what the other girl used, but she had talismans that increased her natural abilities and gave her new ones.” 

Beryl tapped the glass. “I see, and you, Calaveras?” 

“The man called upon the Earth, your majesty.” 

The queen dragged her nails along the glass of her crystal. “Leave my sight. The pair of you.”

“Yes, your majesty.” 

Scrambling to their feet, the sisters bowed deeply and hastily departed the room.

“This bears much thinking, doesn’t it, my Queen,” drawled Prince Demande from his place beside the throne. He had enjoyed watching the sisters bow and scrape in fear. However, the news they brought was both alarming and intriguing.  

“Yes. It does,” Queen Beryl responded, seating herself quietly on her throne and summoning the power of her crystal. 

#

Despite the night’s unusual events, Usagi’s morning progressed pretty much the same as normal. Although she had a rather nasty scratch on her upper arm from the fight, she was able to bandage it easily and hide it under her sleeve. 

A brusk run through town and she slumped in her chair just as the bell rang. That was a little close for comfort.  

“I swear!” Naru said talking to the girl beside her. “There was a crazy monster in my mom’s shop! And we were saved by two real-life superheroes.”

“But you said you were unconscious the whole time,” her classmate replied. 

“Well, yeah, but I saw them, just for a second, as they were running out of the building.”

“Uh-huh,” the girl said, skeptical. 

Usagi felt like banging her head against a wall. She wanted to tell Naru everything, but she had a feeling that it was better to keep quiet about the whole thing, at least until she saw that Sakura girl and they figured out what was going on. Usagi scratched her head wildly and wiggled in her seat. This was too much for her poor, addled, fourteen-year-old mind. 

The homeroom teacher walked in and plopped her folders down on the podium loudly. “Eyes up here, class,” she said. She paused for a moment while everyone settled. “Before we get started, the loudspeaker system is down, so the teachers are giving announcements today. Firstly, the National Practice Test results have come back. One of our students won first place. Please congratulate Miss Ami Mizuno from class five if you see her. Secondly—”

Usagi’s mind wandered. She wondered what it was like to be that smart. To be able to pass tests without problems and have the adoration of the teachers… That sounded heavenly. Though, now that there was such a smart student in the school, a lot of the parents were sure to get ideas. 

“Sure hope Mom doesn’t find out about this,” she sighed. 

#

On the other side of town, Yugi and Artemis sat outside on the quad, resting under a cherry tree. Yugi absentmindedly stroked Artemis’s head, causing the cat to purr quietly. While it would be very convenient for the next Celestial Warrior to fall into their path, they knew that it wasn’t very likely. 

Masahiko had decided to stay in his dorm for the afternoon. Something about needing a little extra time to process. 

Not that Yugi blamed him. He was used to weird things happening to him, but this was a lot even for him to wrap his head around.

Artemis’s ears twitched. 

“Yugi,” he said. “I think… I think someone’s nearby.” 

Yugi turned his head, but he didn’t see anyone unusual. “Are you sure?” 

Artemis hopped off his lap. “Yeah. I’m going to look around. You get to class.” 

Yugi shrugged. “Okay. Keep me informed.” 

Artemis nodded and disappeared into the bushes. 

#

“Hey look, I think that’s Ami Mizuno,” Umino said, pointing across the courtyard. 

Usagi looked up to get a good look at the girl. She had expected her to have huge glasses and messy hair, kind of like if Umino was a girl. What she saw was a pretty young lady with blue hair and pale skin eating her sandwich quietly under a tree. Her eyes flicked up and caught a glimpse of Usagi and her friends. 

Usagi could have sworn that her expression was… wistful as she sighed and looked back down. 

Naru saw too. “Is she trying to pick a fight? Does she think she’s better than us?” 

“I… don’t think so,” Usagi replied, gathering her lunch bag and walking over to Ami. “Mind if I sit here,” she asked. 

“Huh?” gasped Ami, jumping slightly and nearly dropping her book in the process. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just…”

“If you’re going to ask about tutoring, I’m not available for anything,” Ami replied quietly. 

“I wasn’t planning on asking,” said Usagi, though the thought had passed through her mind. “I just wanted to sit with you. You seemed lonely. 

Ami blushed as Usagi’s words registered. “Oh, I see. Well… if you want to… I suppose it’s okay.”

#

“Come on, Ami! You got this!” cheered Usagi as she watched Ami play her way through the last three levels of the Sailor V game in the Crown Arcade. Ami had been destroying level after level on the game, and many others who had stopped to watch were betting that Ami would end up having the highest score. And sure enough, she even did it in record time. 

Out of the prize slot came a wrapped card, which when opened revealed a game card featuring the shrouded figure of a girl on a background of shiny blue. Surrounding the girl were ribbons of blue water.

Usagi stared at it, brain tingling, like she ought to remember something about it but couldn’t. 

“Oh wow, Ami, that’s so pretty!” she said. 

Ami smiled, actually feeling glad she’d agreed to come with Usagi to the arcade. She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see the time. 

“Oh, I have to hurry, or I’ll be late for Crystal Seminar,” said Ami as she grabbed her bag and hurried to the door. 

“That’s the super fancy night school, right?” Usagi replied. She’d heard some of her classmates mention it. 

“Yeah. Thanks for having me. Gotta go.”

# 

“Mistress. The gathering of energy is going as planned,” the servant bowed. 

“Excellent…” purred a white haired woman. Berthier smirked to herself and crossed her legs as she looked over the bright Tokyo skyline. She’d heard that two of her sisters had run into trouble with their missions.

She grinned, doubting the same fate would befall her, she was a lot smarter than her sisters. 

“Is there anything else,” Berthier asked her servant. 

“No, Mistress,” she replied. 

“Then get back to work,” Berthier snapped. 

#

Yugi walked out of the building and stretched in the warm afternoon sun. Being locked in a grey, windowless room for an hour and a half really did a number on him sometimes. As he stood there enjoying the weather, he heard a clatter to his right. 

A student was bent over a pile of books and loose paper trying to gather it back together. Yugi dashed over and started gathering the papers before the wind picked up. 

“Here you go,” Yugi said, handing the papers to the other boy. 

“Thank you,” he replied absently, still stacking his books. His hair was a dark brown color and pulled into a ponytail at the base of his neck. Yugi thought he looked a little like a human dust bunny. When they stood up, the man was, unsurprisingly, a good head taller than Yugi. 

“Would you like some help getting to your next class?” Yugi offered. 

The other man looked at his stack, it started at his hips and nearly reached his neck, and that was without the sizable stack of papers in Yugi’s hand. 

“If it’s not a bother, I would appreciate it,” he said. 

Yugi reached over to grab some of the books off the stack. “I’m Yugi Muto.” 

“Daichi Mikio, School of Science and Technology.” 

#

The next day, Usagi had been feeling that something was off with Ami. She was absent and moved automatically. She didn’t even look up when Usagi called her name. When she asked around, Usagi learned that everyone who attended Crystal Seminar’s night classes came out of it depressed and quiet. 

Usagi started to get really worried when she went to visit Ami during lunch and found her sitting in front of the computer, except that the screen didn’t show math problems or language questions, it was just static. And Ami was staring at it blankly. 

Usagi decided then and there that she would follow Ami to her class that night. It was a good thing she did. When she arrived, the Silver Princess card started glowing vibrating in her pocket and glowing. 

“Moon Prism Power — Make Up!” she called. The transformation was quick, and the teenager felt more ready to face whatever was inside that classroom. She heard a shriek and bolted.

Inside, a monster had Ami in a choke hold and the other students were passed out on the floor. Sailor Moon dashed toward the monster, prepared to punch or kick or do whatever she had to, but she soon found herself pinned to the wall with razor sharp papers.

Sailor Moon fought against the blades, but the more she wiggled, the deeper the papers dug. “Ack!” she cried. 

The monster chuckled and dropped Ami to the ground. “How pathetic. You can’t even save yourself.”

Ami huffed quietly and crawled over to her bag. There had to be something she could use. She found the card she’d gotten as a prize at the arcade glowing softly and whispering to her. As if in a trance, she grabbed the card. 

“Mercury Power — Make up!” 

A bubble of water appeared out of nowhere and encased her. Unafraid, she felt her clothes harden and adjust around her body. Understanding dawned on her. This was her true self, a warrior. The sphere expanded, as if there was a growing bubble of air that was about to explode. It became too much and the surface tension broke, causing the water to cascade onto the floor where it turned into steam. 

“Protected by Mercury, the planet of water, Guardian of Wisdom, Sailor Mercury! Douse yourself in water, and repent!” the new Celestial Warrior cried, raising her arms defensively. 

The monster growled and launched itself at Sailor Mercury. The girl disappeared into the fog and made her way to Sailor Moon. 

Sailor Mercury held up her fingers and concentrated. She could hear the monster’s nails on the tile, it was getting closer. “Mercury Aqua Mist!”

The fog in the room froze over, then erupted, shooting shards of ice in all directions. It destroyed the papers holding Sailor Moon in place. She dropped to the ground and glared at the monster, who was riddled with scratches and rubbing its face. It wasn’t enough. 

Sailor Moon removed her tiara and spun it. “Moon Tiara Action!”

The disk flew through the air and struck the monster in the chest. It screeched and poofed into a cloud of dust. 

As the girls’ heart rates steadied, Sailor Moon looked at Sailor Mercury, who was staring at her hands. She grasped her forearms and pulled the other girl close. 

“I guess you’re like me,” Sailor Moon said. 

“But… what are we?” Sailor Mercury replied, voice shaking. 

Sailor Moon shrugged. “Warriors, I think. We need to get going, everyone is waking up.” 

Sailor Mercury looked around and saw her classmates stirring. “But… what about…” 

“They’re okay, but we can’t stay.” 

“Okay.” 

“Let’s go.” The two girls held hands as they jumped from the second story window and ran across the city. 

#

Sakura was sitting in the park and swinging slightly when Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury bounded across the mulch. 

“I thought so,” Sailor Moon said. 

Sakura smiled. “I felt the spike of magic, but I didn’t know where to go. Sorry.” 

Sailor Moon waved it away. “We figured it out, right… Sailor Mercury?” 

Sakura glanced at the blue-haired girl and smiled politely. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sakura Kinomoto.” 

“Yeah, she’s the one who knows what’s going on,” Sailor Moon proclaimed. 

“I’m not sure about that, but I might know who does,” Sakura replied. “But first, you two need to transform back.” 

“Oh,” Sailor Moon said, glancing down. “Oops.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Kaori, for writing the first draft of this chapter. It was a real help! 
> 
> I'm sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I hit a bit of writers block and I couldn't shake it. Thank you for your patience. 
> 
> Please leave a kudos or a comment if you are enjoying this story, it keeps my creative juices flowing. 
> 
> Happy Reading!

**Author's Note:**

> End of Chapter 1.
> 
> Thank you for choosing to read this labor of love. Questions, comments, and criticisms are welcome.
> 
> Happy Reading


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